1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to geometrical instruments used in the manufacture of apparel. More particularly, this invention relates to a wearable adjustable garment pattern template.
2. State of the Art
A pattern piece used for making garments is a template, and is used to cut fabric into a particular shape. A template""s shape and ability to permit recordation of measurements (e.g., side lengths, areas defined by particular portions, and dart lengths and angles) are its most important qualities. If a template cannot maintain its shape, it is useless.
Referring to prior art FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 2,869,236 to Franklin (hereinafter xe2x80x98the Franklin patentxe2x80x99) discloses a wearable template 10 comprising a plurality of strips 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 arranged in a grid-like manner with pivots 30 at intersections of the strips. The pivots 30 can be adjustably located along the length of the strips to effectively adjust the lengths of the strips to fit the template to a wearer of the template. However, the template 10 is not adapted to maintain its shape after it is removed from the wearer. This is because the strips of the template form a plurality of freely pivoting parallelograms that can easily pivot out of shape, as shown in prior art FIGS. 2 and 3.
Franklin partially addresses the out-of-shape pivoting of the template, and teaches that a separate garment pattern positioner device, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,716,817 also to Franklin, be used to hold a front xe2x80x98neckxe2x80x99 strip 16 and xe2x80x98centerxe2x80x99 strip 18 in angular relation during adjustment of the template relative to a pattern sheet. However, there is no teaching or suggestion to use such a pattern positioner to hold the xe2x80x98bust linexe2x80x99 strip 24 perpendicular to the front xe2x80x98centerxe2x80x99 strip 18. Moreover, even if such a pattern positioner where used in this manner, distortion in the pattern will nevertheless occur at the dart strips 32 (FIGS. 4 and 5).
Darts are basically stitched tapering folds in fabric required to make two dimensional fabric fit over a three dimensional form, such as a human body. The Franklin patent asserts that the template described therein provides dart measurements. However, the only dart measurement provided by the Franklin template is length; there is no manner of providing the important intake measurements for the darts. In fact, referring to prior art FIGS. 4 and 5, experimentation on a mock-up of a right front bodice template manufactured according to the Franklin reference shows that the bust dart 32 on this template can be moved from 12xc2x0 (FIG. 4) to 58xc2x0 (FIG. 5), all at the same dart length. There is only a 10xc2x0 difference between cup sizes in a female bodice garment. As such, failure to properly account for the dart intake can introduce a large amount of distortion in a template. Moreover, this distortion can happen even if the front neck strip 16, center strip 18, across chest strip 22 and bust line strip 24 are all held rigidly in position. Another problem with respect to dart measurements provided by the template of the Franklin patent is that particular strips, without being split, cut through the space of the darts and prevent proper measurement of the dart intake as well as the line crossing the dart and/or transfer of the recorded measurement to fabric or paper.
The Franklin template has several others problems as well. For example, particular strips of the Franklin template are too long, and must curve along shaped areas of the body such as the high hip. This introduces additional distortion in the recorded measurements of those strips. In addition, the apex of particular darts (mainly on the skirt) are free to pivot a full 180xc2x0 and sufficiently distort to become indistinguishable from the waist strips. Furthermore, the pattern template is being built one strip at a time on a person. It would be faster to take all the measurements using a tape measure. Moreover, it is taught to connect the strips with paper fasteners extending through holes in the strips. Not only would it be awkward to use paper fasteners to adjust strips while a person is wearing them, it would also be very time consuming. For example, if one is fitting a bodice and skirt template on a person, there would be as many as six holes to line up and couple with paper fasteners therethrough while the person is wearing the pattern template. In addition, the strips extend past the perimeter of the piece. These extensions interfere with fitting other template sections (e.g., sleeves to bodice, bodice to skirt, etc.) together. Also, the extensions must be very long and unwieldy in order to accommodate people of various sizes. As a result of several of the above reasons, it would not be possible to fit the Franklin template to one""s self, which may be desirable.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a wearable garment pattern template.
It is another object of the invention to provide a wearable garment pattern template which maintains its shape.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a wearable garment pattern template that provides proper dart intake and length measurements.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a wearable garment pattern template that is easily adjustable for use by persons of different sizes.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a wearable garment pattern comprised of interchangeable sections that can be easily fit together.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a wearable garment pattern template that is rapidly adjustable to the shape of the wearer.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a wearable garment pattern template comprised of strips which are not individually separable from the pattern.
Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a wearable garment pattern template that can be used by the wearer to fit his or herself.
In accord with these objects, which will be discussed in detail below, a wearable garment pattern template configured to be worn by a person, and adapted to permit adjustments to the pattern template during the wearing, is provided. According to one preferred aspect of the invention, the pattern template preferably includes a plurality of detachably coupled sections that are easily snapped or otherwise coupled together. According to another preferred aspect of the invention, each section of the template is a framework comprised of a plurality of flexible segments many of which are coupled at pivot points. The adjustable segments are preferably comprised of at least two strips which are longitudinally slidable relative to each other such that the segments are adjustable in length. Once a segment is adjusted in length, the strips of the segment can be locked relative to each other to fix the length of a segment.
In accord with the invention, the segments of the framework define either triangles with sides of a particular length (as adjusted on the wearer), or quadrilaterals having sides of a set length (as adjusted on the wearer) and at least one fixed angle between two of the sides. In either instance, after adjustment, each triangle or quadrilateral can assume only a single configuration, and is not subject to distortion due to rotation about pivot points as the angles between the sides will not change with the individual segments being locked at their respective lengths.
It is noted that every pivot point on the perimeter of the sections of the garment pattern template (with the exclusion of dart leg points which are already connected to the interior) is connected by a flexible segment to an interior point or another pivot point on the perimeter. As such, the garment pattern template, once removed from the person and laid flat, maintains its shape without distortion. The garment pattern template can then be used as a template to cut fabric for a garment.
Furthermore, indicia are provided on the segments to facilitate fitting the garment pattern template to a wearer, and further permit the garment pattern template to be easily fit to oneself while using a mirror. That is, the indicia preferably permit the wearer (or the tailor) to rapidly determine that the pattern is being symmetrically fit to the body without requiring reference to small, difficult to read numeric measurements.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures.